Tributes of the Capitol
by tributegirl
Summary: The surviving victors have decided. The hunger games will take place a last time, exclusively for the children of the Capitol. But this time, everything will be different...
1. The Announcement

Tributes of the Capitol

**AN: I seriously have no idea where i am going with this story. But since reading Mockingjay my fingers have been itching to write a fanfiction. So here it comes! Enjoy!**

The sun was boiling us all. It was the hottest day in ages and the fact that thousand people where standing crunched together on a single square wasnt making the situation any better. I shuffled between the sweating bodies until i finall made out my family. My parents were holding hands, their colorful skin of rich blues and greens mingling, and looking uneasy across the mass of people. My brother stood beside them, not entirely grasping the reason why we were standing here and clutching my fathers leg, as if he was scared to loose him. Which wasn't all so unlikely, considering the constantly moving crowd. I squeezed through some more people until i reached my mother. The look in her eyes was distant, maybe even scared, as if she was trying to find a solution to un unsolvable problem. I layed my hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her, when suddenly everyone was moving backwards. I saw father pick up my little brother, careful that he wasnt stepped on by someone. In this stressed crowd it would surely mean his death.

I also stumbled backward, paying attention not to hurt anyone myself. After a few seconds we werent pushed back anymore and i stood on my toes to see what had happened. The new peacekeepers, recruits from the thirteenth district, had made place for a stage that was now rumbling out of the ground, where we had been pressed away from. Someone in front of me was trying to watch the action and stood in my way. I jumped high, trying to sneek a look at what was happening. The peacekeepers were guiding the living winners on stage and preparing seats for them at the back of the stage. I gasped as I saw Katniss holding Peeta's hand tightly as they took places on there seats. Then again my view was blocked by a man, who let his daughter sit on his shoulders. I growned but it wasn't necessary to see anything anymore. The sound of a winner's voice, supported by a loud microphone, echoed over the entire square. Immediately the loud mass was quiet, shocked by the speaker's voice.

„Good afternoon, people of the Capitol!", the voice greated. I could make out the speaker now. It was Johanna. She stood infront of a lectern, that had probably been installed by the new peacekeepers. Her dark hair were wild and uncombed, making it look as if she had a mane. Her eyes were glistening with a certain beastliness that I had to compare her to an agressive lion, ready to pounce on his pray. A smile was playing on her lips and I knew that she was liking how she was the one announcing the hunger games for once. She allready had been in the arena herself, and she belonged to the ones who had survived. Twice. I dont know if I was jealous of her, but I guess not. My parents, my father especially, had always wanted his children to win the hunger games one day. Like all other parents of the first district, they wanted the glory of living in the town of winners. But perhaps they were even going to get this now. The last hunger games were being announced.

„Today we have gathered to announce that the seven winners and leaders of the revolution against the Capitol have made a decision.", Johanna leaned forward on the speaker's pult, eager to cost out every second of this. „After voting, we have decided that the hunger games shall take place one more time. And because we know how much you people like watching children die, we thought it would be fun, to let you watch your own children take their last breaths this time. And I mean _only _your children". Johanna leaned back, enjoying the confusion rolling over the mass. Confused and astonished looks were being exchanged. Then it was quiet again, as if the people were demanding for an explanation. Johanna laughed a dry laugh into the microphone, making my stomache twist at the sound of it.

„Yes, you have heard right. The last hunger games shall be exclusively for the children of the Capitol. After all you have done to each and every one of us", Johanna made a gesture to the other six winners sitting behind her, „we decided that you deserved your own games."

I saw Peeta wanting to stand up from his seat but Katniss motioned for him stop. Reluctantly he sat down again, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe this was happening. He probably didnt want this, I thought. I wondered which of the winners voted for the games to take place a last time. Johanna I'm sure of. Haymitch? Probably. Peeta? Seeing his terrified expression, I dont think his is happy with this situation. Then my view glides to Katniss. She sits straight, her expression blank and looking forward directly into the crowd. Meanwhile Peeta let go of her hand, looking more or less disappointed with her. I watch her closely. She laid on her hands on her lap, pressing them tightly together, as if she were fighting some stress. But then i see it. As Johanna carries on her speech about why the first district deserves the last brutal hunger games a smile appears on Katniss' lips. Revenge, I think suddenly, as i remember all the things happening to her because of the Capitol. Revenge is what Katniss wants, for the death of her father, for the pain she and Peeta went through, and mostly for the death of her little sister. I had not only heard of this death. I was there. In the night disctrict 1 was stormed by the revolutioners. I was there when her sister died.

They had wanted to save, at least the children, from the attacks. Shoved them inside safer crush barriers to protect them. The places were so filled they didnt find room for me. I was so scared, crying because i couldn't find my parents. A peacekeeper had shuffled me and a few other children in the same situation together, trying to keep us safe. In that moment i saw the small silver parachutes sailing from the sky right into the room that was shielded from the barriers. I had envied the children that had found safe room there. Until there was an explosion. Brilliant lights had filled my vision, braking the barriers of the safe zone. Bits and pieces of the flew through the air, scattering everywhere. I had looked around panicked, hearing cries of pain filling the night. Everything was so loud. A few recruits from District 13 had stormed to help the groaning mass of burned and hurt children. Suddenly another crackling bolt followed. It was the end of Katniss' sister that night. I didnt really think about the consequences for her life until now. My mother, as a reporter from the Capitol told me about it. She knew everything about the winners, about each of the hunger games. Commenting and placing bets, she never really felt into the tributes.

When the sound of Johannas voice filled the square infront of the most beautiful buildings of the Capitol again, i woke from my memory.

**AN: This is no good end to the chapter, i know. But there will be more. Please review :)**


	2. The Tributes

Chapter 2 –- The Chosen

**AN: I am really enjoying writing this, seriously! Much thanks goes to my first two reviewers! Hope you are following the first update! :)**

„Tonight you parents, who have been enjoying the hunger games for the last 75 years, shall finally have the pleasure to experience what it is like to see your child being reaped, without you wanting it to go. You will face what it is like to loose somebody very dear to your heart.", Johannas tight grip on the wood of the pult loosened a bit and i saw her close her eyes. For a moment it looked like she was going to cry, but she managed to swallow down her feelings. I remembered her tragic history. How every single person who was close to her gradually got killed. She doesnt have anything near to a family left, I thought and looked over to my parents. They were standing closer now, their colorful skin, that I had always thought so interesting suddenly seemed ridiculous and unimportant. My father pressed my little brother tightly to his chest, protecting him from something he doesnt understand. Then i realized that I was standing alone, my parents uncaring whether or not these might be the last minutes we get to spend together, even though the chances are low that I, under these hundreds of potential tributes get reaped. Still, I didnt like how they only cared for little Brend all the time.

„To ensure maximum fun in these games, there will be no volunteers allowed", her smirk commented on the shocked whispering that went through the crowd after everyone understood the meaning of this. Up to now your chances of being reaped was nonexistant unless you volunteered. Even if you were so unlucky to get chosen among all the children here, there were always volunteers. I thought back at all the years and didnt remember a single time District 1 didnt have any volunteers. But this would change the situation. A chill runs down my spine thinking of all the brutality i had to face every year on the television. This was just my second reaping, because i am only just 13 but I knew a lot about the hunger games and especially the Careers. I knew that my father wanted me to belong to their group in the hunger games one day. The brutal Careers. But all his teaching failed on me and he eventually gave up. I was good at nothing. Throwing, slicing, punching, stabbing, running, ... I had no natural talent and i was really clumsy when it came to weapons, even as a girl. The only thing I was good at was dancing. I was really good. But he never payed any attention to me. What would dancing in the arena be good for anyways? Perhaps a laugh for the watchers but sure death for me.

„ One more thing.", Johanna announced to regain the attention of the crowd, „ We will be choosing most of you. And if you dont like our, of course _totally _random, decisions" , she laughs, „ you may of course have a word with our dear recruits."

Which meant something like „Speak up against us, and you'll be dead". Yeah. Got it. And thinking about it we maybe even deserve it. In some very distant kind of way. The Capitol had been oppressing the districts so long, Johanna wanted revenge. More directly than Katniss, but still.

Johanna smirked at the crowd once more. "May the odds be ever in your favor."

I wondered how they were going to choose the tributes now, when suddenly two strong hands grabbed my shoulders.

„Hey!", I squeeled when the person lifted me a couple of centimeters and my feet lost touch to the ground. I turned around trying to face the person, who was touching me so brutally, but all the struggling didnt help. I kicked and screamed, frantically trying to free myself.

„Let me go! Let me go!", I shouted and fidgeted to escape the grip. I saw several heads shoot my direction as they noticed what was going on. The people looked shocked. I didnt understand what was going on and what I had done to deserve this punishment when i finally achieved to free my right shoulder of the grip. I kicked my legs and turned around angrily when I reached the other hand that was holding me. Out of instinct I bit right into it at once.

„Ow! You little...", I heard a man's voice exclame, but i didnt care who had touched me anymore. I didnt even turn around to see. I just ran off as soon as I was free again, the shocked people making way for me.

I pressed through the masses hurrily trying to get away but i had totally lost orientation of where in the square I was right now, and nearly bumped into the stage. I turned around panting, from the fight and the heat to search for an escape when I saw a couple of new peacemakers, recruits, make their way through the bodies. Towards _me._

I pressed my back against the stage but they came closer. Soon there was no other way. I stemmed my hands against the stage and pulled myself up, gasping at the effort it took. The heads of all the people spun around to see me. I heard Johannas laugh in the microphone when she saw me and ran off in the other direction – directly into a recruit. The muscular man grabbed my arms and held me in a way, that i felt encaged. I knew struggling against his grip was useless and let my head sink. Johanna picked up the microphone from the pult and walked over to me.

„Ladies and Gentleman! We have chosen the first Tribute!", I breath heavily and tried to swallow. My throught was dry as the desert and I felt like vomiting. Johanna took a step closer, standing directly in front of me. I refused to look up and kept staring at my feet, knowing that a panicked sob would burst out of me the second I'd look into her lion face. But she gave me no choice. Johanna put a finger under my chin and made me look into her glowing eyes.

„It's nice to see how enthusiastic you are, even before the games officially start, miss Creal", she says to me, holding the microphone away so only I can hear. Anger filled my body and i wanted to slap her, kill her. I couldn't understand how somebody, who faced the brutality of the areno twice could still be this cruel.

I pulled at my arms trying to free myself, but the recruite didn't loosen. Johanna took a step away from me, turning to the crowd again.

„Congratulations, to Pearl Asha Creal, daughter of the most known journalist of the Capitol – Marble Creal!", Johannas evil laughter filled the square.

Gasping went through the people. I was quite known, actually. Still, I hadn't thought they'd pick me. Why me? My mother was just a journalist after all. I looked at the square again. The recruit turned me, towards the mass, as if presenting pray. I looked up again. Searching the faces for my parents, but under all this shuffling of glittering colorful bodies I couldn't make them out anywhere. Meanwhile I realized I wasn't the only one captured this way. There were many recruits pressing through the crowd. Their grey uniforms with the bright golden mockingjay on the back was easy to spot under all the other bright colors. All over the place full of people were they hunting, but I could tell that they had destinations. They weren't randomly picking children of the right age they just happened to come across. They had names.

I saw a girl being pushed on the stage by two of the grey recruits and held just as tightly as me by a second one. When the recruit placed himself beside me with her, I knew who she was.

„Claire Snow!", I gasped astonished. The daughter of the dead President Snow looked up, when I mentioned her name. She had not been in the media ever since her fathers death. I guess the rest of the family she had had been hiding her from the revolution. I looked in her sparkling blue eyes, and suddenly I knew what Johanna and the Winners were going after. The ultimate revenge. They were picking out the children of the families who had had most business with the Capitol.

And just when I realized it, two other boys were brought on stage. Both not fighting against the strong recruits, knowing that they were chosen allready. Johanna giggled the whole time. Presenting the victims to the crowd. More and more were gathered on the stage. I saw their faces, knowing each and every one of them. Knowing there families, and remembering memories we shared.

And at this moment, I don't know for what reason, perhaps the heat or the stress, or maybe both, I felt my feet slip away under me, and I collapsed.

**AN: I know its not really long, but at least its longer than the first Chapter. I hope you enjoyed. If you could review, it would mean a lot to me. Please criticise me in any way you want! :)**


	3. The Awakening

Chapter 3 – The Awakening

**AN: ATTENTION: Long boring chapter ahead. This is actually only a very long complicated conversation between Johanna and Pearl, who finds herself awakening in the hospital. In case you don't want to read a lot for nothing (which I would completely understand), just scroll to the bottom and read the summary. Enjoy it anyways :)  
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„Pearl! Pearl!", I heard somebody call my name. The voice was hysterical and high pitched, like a mother calling after her baby, as it falls down a cliff. I realized that it was the voice of a mother. My mother.

„Pearl! No, not my darling! My darling!", the voice grew louder, coming nearer and even more desperate to reach me. I wanted to help the voice, sooth it, tell it everything was allright, but I didnt seem to find my body. Where was I? Where did all the sounds come from? The crying, shouting and this amused laughter in the background?

With a bolt I woke from my dream. Sweat was pearling off my forehead and dripped into my vision, when I forced my heavy eyelids open. I growned. Not a good idea. The bright white light was like needles in my eyes. Immediately I closed them again, struggling to collect my thoughts. I still felt like in my dream. Standing on some sort of stage, when my mother was frantically trying to come to me.

I dared to open my eyes again, this time more careful. Inching them open millimeter after millimeter until I gradually got used to the light. I blinked a couple of times and wanted to get a cup of water from the kitchen when I realized I couldnt move my arms. My hands where tied to some sort of bed with a thick cloth on each side. I panted, panicked, not understanding the situation. Tugging as hard as I could I shook the whole bed, causing thousands of things behind me to clatter loudly. I looked around, eyes wide, like an animal that just got caught in a crippling trap, grasping that it wasn't at the right place. And I wasn't. Absolutely not. These sterile white walls and floors did not belong to our house. Where was I what was I doing here? Was I perhaps still asleep? No, definately not. The pain on my hands, that were sour from the hurting cloth was too real, for me to be dreaming.

„Good morning, sleeping beauty!". My head spun around to the door, just to recognize a face that brought back the memories. The reaping. The tributes of the Capitol. My mother storming on stage, when I collapsed, trying to save me. I remember her screams, when the recruits held her back, tugged her away from me.

I gasped loudly, frantic tears building in the corners of my eyes. With a delightedly cruel look on her face, Johanna took place on the end of my bed, turning to face me.

„We were scared you wouldn't wake up again,", she said, her eyes like the devil, „and it would have just been so sad to loose you, wouldn't it?" She chuckled, and stretched forward to carress my face with dirty fingers. My mother had told me, that th Capitol had been torturing her and her family. With water and electro shocks. _No wonder she doesn't wash very often_, I thought, but didn't have much sympathy for her in my situation.

I tried to pull away from her touch, urging my body back, from this demon sitting right here, but I couldn't move. Her fingers went over my skin, as if she was intending to rip through it any second.

„Tell me, Pearl... What is it like going to the reaping every year, knowing that you will never have to go to the games?", she leaned on her elbow, a smile playing on her lips. I couldn't say anything, couldn't respond to this question. What was it like? I really didn't know. I never thought about what it must feel like, when you were practically sentenced to death by the Capitol. But then again I realized that this was what I was. I was a tribute in the last hunger games.

Still paralyzed by the ties on arms and legs I wasn't able to escape Johanna's stare, nor her words.

„Did you ever think about what it must be like for the not so privileged? You have been raised as a princess, weren't you?", she asked, still smiling, „You never had to be scared to come home to your starving family, without anything you could bring them. Well, but now everything will change", her eyes sharpened on me, and my breath got heavier. Johanna leaned forward even more, our noses nearly touching. I could imagine how I must be looking to her. The pampered Capitol child, that she was finally allowed to toy around with. On which she was allowed to take revenge.

„Your parents are the reason you are hear, do you realize this, dear Pearl?", she asked, piercing me with dark eyes.

I finally managed to get the panicked knot out of my throat, practically spitting my angry words in her face.

„My parents did nothing wrong!", I bristled with anger.

„Oh, darling,", she chuckled amused, „of course they did nothing wrong. Well, let's say at least in the eyes of the Capitol. You do know that your mother had business with the gamemakers, don't you? Not only did she have the cruelty to_ place bets_", she snorted at these words, „on the tributes, but she also messed with the gamemakers to influence someone's chance on winning.", Johanna stood up, pacing up and down in the small room. Her head getting read.

„Your mother didn't give a _shit_ whether the bets she placed were on _things_ or on _children_! But it wasn't enough for her to affect the deathrates, no! Can you believe that someone can dryly report of the deaths she caused, still being able to look yourself in the mirror? She talked about the tributes like it didn't matter if children died. Like they were born to amuse. Ha! She even made jokes about their death! She was a journalist of the worst sort!", Johanna now practically shouted at me.

„Was?", I gasped, processing that she had been speaking of my mother in the past tense the whole time. „What did you do to her? I swear if you hurt anyone I'll-"

„You'll what?", she sneared back at me. „You do realize that _you_'re the one who's tied to a bed, don't you? Gosh, you Capitol kids are just so ridiculous", she said laughing now.

I just glared at her in shock. What had they done to my mother? To little Brend? I wanted to stand up and shake the answer out of her. Johanna saw my expression and stopped laughing, still not suppressing an evil smirk.

„Don't worry. We didn't hurt any one of your precious little family yet. Even though I would have loved to,", she sighed dramatically, „ but sadly the other victors thought it wasn't ethical. I really wonder what they thought _was_ ethical about the hunger games anyways? I really don't understand why it shouldn't be allright if we just went and just shot up whole District 1", she was pondering on this thought for a few seconds, probably imaging her version of the perfect revenge. I was disgusted by her and wondered if she had always been this way. Could someone be born without a heart? Were all the surviving victors this way? I remembered the smile on Katniss' lips, when Johanna announced the last hunger games. No they couldn't be. But the games made them to what they were.

In this moment I swore myself, whatever might happen in the arena, I would stay true to myself.

Johanna walked back to the edge of my bed, picking up something from the little cupboard standing there. She closed her hand over the thing, that she obviously didn't want me to see.

„W-what are you doing?", I stuttered, when she leaned over me, grinning. But she didn't answer. Instead she rammed an injection down my arm. I gasped at the pain, as she pushed it deaper through my flesh. My vision was starting to blurr and I looked up from the silver injection that was glistening in the bright light of the room, directly into Johanna's eyes.

„When you wake up, something wonderful is beginning." Her devilish face vanished before my eyes and her words were the last thing I could process, before darkness engulfed me.

**AN: Yeah, well incase you read this now, you probably know what I meant by long and boring... For all those who came down here to read a summary watch out. **

**SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE CHAPTER YET: So Johanna practically explains to Pearl why she wants the hunger games, why Pearl is one of the chosen tributes and that she wants revenge. Especially on Pearl's mother who has been placing bets and fussing around with the gamemakers to influence on the tributes who will be victors. And Johanna lets out her anger on Pearl. Last thing happening is Johanna giving Pearl a sleeping injection... Yeah that was a chapter of 1400 words summed up in 4 sentences. haha... i am so pathetic xD**

**Sorry for typos...  
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	4. The Recovering

Chapter 4 – The Preparation

**AN: Ignore stupid typos/grammar mistakes. Im totally and utterly to tired to read over this at the moment X.X Anyways, short uninteresting chapter ahead! Enjoy!**

I had never been drunk in my life, so I could never experience what a hangover was like. I was pretty sure though that it must come close to how I felt right now. My head was thumping as if someone hit it with a baseball bat. Ten times. From all sides.

I groaned as I sat up running my hands through my tangled hair. Just then I noticed the soreness of my wrists. A thick ring. Fresh memories came back to my mind when I remembered the pulling of the thick cloth. Immediately I pushed off the thick blanket, I was lying covered up in and examined my legs. They were not nearly as sore as my wrists but you could definately see were the cloth had been strapped around them.

I looked around the room I woke up in. Another room, yet again. But it didn't look like a hospital room this time. It looked like no other room I had ever seen before. Everything was totally grey except fort the bed I was lying in, which had white coating material. And it was pretty dark. I looked around, not able to make out a single window. Curiously I stepped out of the bed, which turned out not to be such a good idea. My legs were weak and seemed to have forgotten how to walk. Loosing my balance during my first steps I dropped on the uncomfortable bed again. I stretched my legs in front of me, doing some of the warmup exercices i usually do as a warmup before dancing. I bent over my legs, easily touching my toes. After a few minutes of massaging my lost muscles, I dared to stand up again. The way I was walking still reminded me of the first time I walked with ballet shoes, but it felt fairly normal again. My feet were a bit numb and cribbled as I was carefully taking my steps through the small room, which reminden be a bit of a cell. I walked away from the bed, carefully with one hand stemmed against the wall for extra support. The walls were boring to look at. Very different from the walls back at home. Our walls were covered in fluffy materials. I could run my fingers through them for hours without getting enough of the draperies tickling every nerve. But here the walls were cold, uninviting.

I paced along the wall a bit more, still hoping to find a window to orient myself in the room, but i had no such luck. Other than the bed there was a single table with a the smallest television I had ever seen on top of it. It even had a little antenna-thing the people used to have before Panem existed. I stepped to the table, my feet and legs still overwhelmed by a weird tingling sensation. No matter that I was probably sentenced to death, for being a tribute, I couln't help but smirk at the tiny TV. It was just so utterly cute in comparison to the screens we had in District 1. We nearly had a television in each room. But partially they weren't just monitors anymore. My mother had gotten a wall television as a „work supply". Yes, the Capitol gifted my mother with a prototype. She was supposed to use it for working of course, but _please_. It had obviously filled up an entire wall and even responded to commands.

I pulled out a tiny stool, that was stuffed under the table the television was placed on and sat down. Once I didn't have so much weight on my legs anymore the tingling got wilder. Probably my muscles were coming to proper life again. After a few seconds I couldn't ignore the weird feeling in my legs anymore as it turned really annoying. My legs and feet started to sting even more, making me think about how much time I had spent passed out. I remembered back to the afternoon where I was forced on stage, the second my feet gave away under me and the cruel conversation I had with Johanna. Thinking that I couln't have been out more than a day I wondered how late it was anyways.

I started fiddling with the television which didn't have one of those awesome remote controls I was used to. Instead it had a funny wheel at the front and a big button at the top, which I figured must bet he power button. I pressed it down, and the small object immediately sprang to life. After a few seconds of terrible screeching and rustling noises it finally had a picture. Just as ridiculous it seemed compared in size, was it aswell in quality. I could barely make out what the screen said.

Tribute 1 – Pearl A. Creal

The picture shown by the television was definately a default picture, as it didn't seem to move and was obviously broadcasted whenever there was nothing life. I turned the wheel on the device, it's tiny cogs tickling my fingers, but the picture didn't change. I sighed, not knowing what to do now.

I looked around the room again, and realized just how stupid I was. _Great_, I thought, _if i'm going to bet this stupid in the arena I'm not going to last a minute. _In unsuccessfull search for a window, I had managed to miss the white door, that was so clearly being a big contrast against the monotone grey of the room's walls. Gosh, I felt like hitting my head against a wall form my cleverness. Then again, hitting my head against anything didn't seem like the brightest idea at the moment. It was still hurting way too much for me to allready torture it this way. Even though I would have really deserved it in this case.

_Stupid, stupid me,_ I cussed taking baby-steps torwards the white door. My bare feet cold against the icy grey floor. I laid my hand on the door handle, my wrists were still a ponding sore blotch of red against the rest of my rather pale skin. It was not until then, that I noticed the light sleeping gown I was dressed in. I shivered at the thought that somebody put me into it, while I was still passed out. _Let's just hope it was not Johanna_, I prayed, disgusted by the thought of her hands on my body. And that dressing me was the only thing, the person had done with me, a shiver ran over my spine as I thought of all the things that one could do with an unconcious woman.

Shoving the disturbing thoughts out of my mind I pressed down the door handle. In the second I had pressed the handle down to it's extent something was buzzing under my fingers and forearm. Out of instinct I pulled my arm right after a little bolt went off. I squirmed back hugging my arm to the rest of my body. Panting wildly and with a heart that seemed to be beeting in my head and filling up my ears, I examined my arm and fingers for injuries of any kind. But instead of finding the gashing wound I had expected I found something imprinted on the surface of my forearms skin. I held my arm steadily with the other, trying to get my panicked shaking under control. I had blothed the writing a bit by pulling my arm away too fast, but I could definately say that this, that was written into my skin, was some kind of schedule. Again it said TRIBUTE 1 – PEARL A. CREAL. Right as if i could forget that. And then there was a little chart with times and things to do. In the very first small box it said: ROOM 4.01 – BRIEFING.

Briefing? What kind of briefing? Maybe on where I was and what I had to do. Shoudn't we normally get prepared for interviews and training now? But since I was a tribute in the last hunger games, I guessed I shouldn't expect these games to be entirely normal. _I have to play with their rules now_, I thought looking down at my schedule.

And with this, I swung the door open.

**AN: WOW, what an interesting ending once again xD I just noticed that two of 4 chapters are starting with her waking up and ending with her collapsing or loosing conciousness... LoL poor Pearl :D**

**Great thanks goes to QueenOfTheButterflies for supporting me and reviewing :) And guys, you just HAVE to read her take on the hunger games. The GALACTIC GAMES. And YES its just as cool as it sounds :D**


	5. The Briefing

Chapter 5—The Briefing

**AN: And once again, here comes a very little action and much conversation chapter. Anyway, this took ages to write, as I was facing a tiny little writing crisis. Enjoy :)**

Room 4.01 was just as monotone and unspectacular as the room I had woken up in. Once again I was sure, that whatever this building was, it would surely not win a price for it's exciting colors... And it would surely not be able to be a competition for the richly decorated rooms of the Capitol buildings.

The grey in grey structure of the room was disrupted only by a white round table that stood in the center. And again I couldn't make out a single window. I closed the door silently behind me, noticing that recruits were standing on both sides of the exit, giving me a short look before they turned back and faced the front strictly. They had also been standing infront of every single door back in the corridor. When I had exited my room, I nearly didn't see them, due to their grey uniforms, that fit exactly into the grey sheme of walls and floors. I had wandered through the corridors, glancing on the writing on each white door. 4.04, 4.03,... 4.02... And eventually I had found Room 4.01. The recruits garding the door on the outside had asked me to show them my forearm before entering. With a short nod at my time schedule and without any question on why it was so smudged they had let me pass. And that was where I was standing now. Glancing around Room 4.01, and still not understanding what I was doing here.

I wondered if I could perhaps ask the recruits what I was supposed to do next, but they didn't seem very talkative and they probably had the assignment not to talk to me anyways. I sighed and decided to sit down on one of the chairs. The room wasn't much bigger than the one I woke up in and as minimalistic, but I could tell that this wasn't an unimportant meeting room. The stools were cushioned and more comfortable than anything in the other room, so I figured they were meant for prominent people. In that second I began counting the stools. Seven exactly. And in the moment my brain realized that these stools were most likely meant for the victors the white door opened.

Surprised I jumped up from the chair, probably blushing as the victors entered one by one. Johanna at the front, surrounded by something I could only desrcribe as a powerful deadly aura. I sucked in air when she flashed me an evil smile and sat down around the table. The other victors followed her motion, Peeta holding Katniss hand, who seemed like she needed support. Once everyone had taken place I was feeling completely awkward to bet the only one left standing. Would it have been so hard, to place another chair? Then again i thought the victors had presumably intended to make me feel awkward around them.

The victors turned in their chairs to face me and I really wished I'd be sucked down in some black hole to escape from their stares. But unfortunately no black hole came to release me from this situation.

I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, uneasily biting my lip. The victors seemed to enjoy my nervosity and only just after a few seconds did Johanna finally break the silence.

„Tribute 1,", she began and cleared her throat, „you have seriously affected our time plan through your _oh so dramatic_ collapse". As if I had intended to black out. Right.

„I am terribly sorry to hear that, Johanna", I replied sarcastically, hating the way she was speaking to me like to an object allready, even before the games begin.

„You should be", Haymitch volunteered. „After all it's you who is going to be in the arena. And you pretty much allready lost precious training time, didn't you?" He looked at me, noncholantly as if he were talking to a wall. He was untended and smelled like alcohol.

Without answering I asked the first question that came to my mind., reminding myself that this was supposed to be a briefing and not just an opportunity fort he victors to make fun of me.

„Where am I?

Johanna laughed and the most victors also couldn't help smiling. I was just ennerved not to get an answer.

„What's so funny about that?", I asked, feeling a knot building in my throat. The first sign that I was near to crying. I felt lost here, without anybody helping me and I still couldn't understand why I had to be going to the games. It was just not fair.

„I should be in the Capitol now, right? What am I doing here? Where are the other tributes?". I couldn't suppress my wobbly voice now. Cracking any second.

„Where do you _think_ you are, Pearl?", Johanna glared at me.

„How should I know? There are _no windows_! No other people! Get me out of here!", I yelled, hot tears running town my cheeks now, as I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was probably going to die in the arena and them treating me like a toy.

Johanna didn't loosen her gaze at me. „No windows. Exactly...", she said simply, playing with a strand of her frizzy hair.

I looked at her, trying to swallow my fears and hating how I looked so weak in front of the victors once again. But that was probably just what I was. Weak.

I thought about what Johanna had said. No windows. What does that tell me about this place? But then it struck me. I gasped when I figured out where I was, my hand wandering over the writing on my forearm in astonishment.

„District 13. I am In District 13, right?", I asked eagerly looking at the faces of the victors. Remembering all my mother told me about the destroyed district. It was many many floors underneath the ground, which explains the lack of windows and natural light. A short wave of honor rushed through me as I realized that I actually got to see the legendary district, which stopped right when I remembered that this district was the center of the revolution against the Capitol and District 1 and the fact that I was only brought here to prepare for being slaughtered.

„Great.", Johanna sighed. „Finally she figured it out. Well, now that we have officially _briefed_ you on the situation, all you have to do is be a good little tribute. Follow the schedule on your arm. And once the games start ina few days, be so nice and die an amusing death", she grinned at me, eyes wide and she reminded me of a lion again. Ready to rip open my throat.

Katniss, whom I hadn't heard speaking all the time suddenly stood up and turned to Johanna.

„We don't have the right to speak to her in this manner", she spat out at Johanna pointing with the finger, as if she was telling off an unbehaved child.

Johanna shook her head in bitter disport. „You don't tell me what is my right to do and what not! We have the right to do whatever we want with the whole Capitol! These children will never go through what each and every one in this room, had to live through!", she shot back at Katniss.

„We will not use them as toys! No matter what reasons you have", Katniss still argued. She turned to the rest of the victors, obviously forgetting that I was standing here. „Even if they might have destroyed our lifes, we will not cross the lines like they did. The last hunger games should end this. Showing the pampered people of District 1, what life and death means."

I didn't really understand what about these hunger games _didn't_ cross the lines. But this was probably Katniss' way of justifying her vote for the hunger games to take place again. I couldn't understand it at all, but I was sure that I couldn't stop her anyways, and that me asking questions, would probably not be tolerated.

Johanna turned her attention back to me, probably irritated by the way Katniss was speaking.

„Go back to your room now, change into something...", she scanned me from head to toes, " more suitable for training and stick to your timeschedule."

I turned away obediently, scared that one of the recruits might exit me more brutally if I refused, and stepped out on the corridor. _Phew. _I was happy to have escaped the boiling conversation of the victors.

Making my way back to my room I glanced down on my forearm. The next little box said: TRAINING-AG. I had no idea what AG stood for and I couldn't remember passing a door with this labeling, but I knew that finding the right room was my least problem.

_Now I will meet the other tributes. The tributes who will kill me.  
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**AN: Yeah. I told you so. No action. buaahh. Next chapter will be better though, I promise. Pearl will face the other tributes... Soon :)**_  
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	6. The Recognition

Chapter 6 – The Recognition

**AN: Longest Chapter so far! I'm sorry, but i really didn't know where I should have split it up to without making it boring :/ Enjoy! :)**

After having changed into some loose-fitting greenish-brown training suit and matching boots, that had magically been prepared in my room, I was constantly running my hands through my messy hair. I wondered when I had combed myself the last time. On the day of the announcement? I couldn't remember. The fact that there was not only a lack of windows in this room but also a lack of mirrors annoyed me. I didn't exactly understand why I cared on how the other tributes saw me, but I found it important not to look _too_ terrible. Maybe because looking untended made a weak impression? But then my thoughts wandered to Johanna and the beastlyness of her uncombed hair. A shiver ran down my spine. It did absolutlely not make her look weak in any way. Her style gave her something wild and untamed, like an aggressive dog, who you wished would never be strong enough to rip his leash. But Johanna had. She had ripped her leash and killed the one who had been holding it tightly for so many years. The Capitol.

I tried to concentrate on something different than Johanna, who was more than likely allready picturing multiple deaths for me, and made my way out on the corridor again. With every step I took down the hallway my stomach ache got worse. I wasn't prepared for what was coming and I knew that there was no way I was ever going to be.

Every few meters I checked the labeling of the doors I came across. But I had no such luck to find a door with the writing AG. Wasn't that what briefing should have been about? Showing me my way around so I could be a good tribute and properly prepare for being killed?

Followed by the eyes of recruits, garding every door I came across, I made my way through the hallway. Eventually I was sure to have checked all the doors, but I still couldn't find AG, and gave up. Reluctantly I turned to a recruit who looked fairly sympathetic.

„I'm sorry. I seem to be lost. Could you tell me where I can -", I started friendly but the recruit interrupted my question and nodded towards the end of the hallway. I looked to where he was sending me, but couldn't make out anything in the poorly lit corridor.

„Thanks, I guess...", I muttered stepping in the direction he had motioned me to go. I squinted my eyes together and could make out something that I hadn't seen before. A grey elevator, that was, other than the screaming white doors I had managed to oversee before, fitting perfectly in the grey of the walls was now more or less visible. I cursed at the weak lights of the hallway and pressed my hands ran over the neat surface of the elevator doors, searching for a button.

„Present day structur please.", a metallic female voice rang through my body. I swallowed down the moment of surprise and obediently held my forearm into the redish laser beams that were now coming from the slit inbetween the elevator. The laser was tickling my arm as it ran over the imprinted letters and then disappeared again, when the elevator doors opened.

„Tribute 1. Training above ground", the voice said and I felt like a moron when I realized what AG was standing for. Sighing, I stepped inside the elevator. _This is going to be fun_, I thought sarcastically.

When the elevator doors opened, the first thing I noticed was the beaming sun blinding me. Shielding my eyes from the brilliant light, I stepped outside of the metal elevator doors. Breathing the air here was like I imagined breathing to be like after you spent an eternity under water. I sucked the fresh air eagerly into the very depth of my lungs. Compared to this freshness the air underground was in a very poor condition. Only having spent a few seconds above ground, I allready didn't want to go back down there. Back to the engulfing little space and the sticky hot summer air, that had been encaged underground for years.

I looked around to where the elevator had brought me and it was truly as if somebody had built an elevator to paradise. In front of me towered beautiful juicy green trees. I could hear the hapy chattering of birds, the rustling of leaves as animals ran over the mighty tree branches and I loved the soft kiss of the sun on my skin. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, simply enjoying the pureness of all of this. I had never been out in any kind of forest before. Of course there were a lot of parks filled with rich green grass and flowers in District 1, but never any kind of forest. The grass in District 1 was shortened to an unchanging height of perfect 4 centimeters, and i had always loved it's sight. It had always looked healthy and perfect to me, but this was so pure. Beauty didn't need any kind of perfection I saw now, dazzled by the first forest I had ever seen. The grass was growing in all directions, in a height that partially went to my knees, dotted with colorful little flowers that held their proud heads high, as if they wanted to smile at me. The wild trees were higher than I had ever imagined them to be. They were bushy and irregular, but much more interesting than the perfect slim green trees of District 1. Everything looked so lavish and full of perfect life. I imagined how it must be like to live in such a place as the forest. Opening the doors and feeling the nature tickle awake all your senses.

My daydream was disrupted, the second I recognized the sound of sword clattering coming from behind the group of trees that loomed before me and I remembered why I was at this place. Training.

I made my way through the trees, my vision limited by dense leaves in front of me. As the sound came nearer I could make out a path under my boots that seemed like many people before me had made this way. It was obviously different from the wildly growing grass that was bent flatly and partly not growing on the dirt path. I walked along the way and gasped when I saw, what was most likely something that came close to the legendary preperation hall in the Capitol.

A large square had been chopped out of the natural forest. The other tributes curiously turned around to face me when I accidently rustled a large branch loudly. I blushed deeply, but they turned back to what they had been doing after a few seconds of interested stares.

Eyeing the broad land I made out the stations that were always described by victors. There were weapons stacked on one side. Axes, bow and arrow, shuriken, all sorts of knives in any fancy way I could imagine and some weapons I didn't have a name for, but they looked deadly anyways. Beside the neatly stacked weapons were rows of targets and wood to sharpen your skills on.

Other than the brutal section, as I started calling it, there was a station with a long metal table and lots of books spread out on it. Probably the learn-what-kills-you-if-you-eat-it-section, I figured and looked on past the shuffling tributes. A few trees were left uncropped inside the square which had millions of ropes tied in between. The learn-how-to-climb-like-a-monkey-section.

Even though I hated Johanna, she had been the only person I had talked to in the last few days and I was really missing a normal human conversation. Normally we should have mentors now, who would tell us what to do, where to go and what skills to start training for long survival in the arena, but I had nothing of the sort. Then again I figured that even a mentor, who was meant for supporting me would have probably allready given up on me. Pearl, the girl who could do nothing. Sighing I looked at the stations. The other tributes were eagerly working at their skills, partly showing off impressing throwing of climbing techniques which I could only be jealous of. Looking at the tributes, my head started thumping again, just like waking up in the hospital yesterday. _How many are they?_ I started counting them mentally. Four here, six there... 18, 25, 30,..? Looking at the large amount of children I gasped loudly, probably even shrieking. These were more than the usual amount of 24 tributes. How many, how many were going to die? _Only one may survive_... from all of these!

I struggled to shake off the thought of all their corpses being extracted from the arena. Why was I so naiv to think the victors would have a normal take at the hunger games? Revenge was what they were lusting for, and the more families they destroyed, the better for them. I shook my head, grasping the true brutality of the games for the first time._ I am going to die._

For what seemed the hundredths time today I shoved all of this from my mind and let my feet lead me to the first section in reach. Brutal section. _Halleluyah_. A dozen of other tributes were gathered there, weighing heavy instruments in their hands, or practicing slicing up some tree trunks with sharps knives. My stomache twisted at the thought of the sharp weapons ripping through my body instead of those targets.

I stepped in front of the long metal shelf that seemed so utterly out of place in this light forest. The sharp weapons were gleeming in the brilliant sun, their deadly surfaces throwing around rays of beeming sunlight in every direction. My gaze wandered over all the terrible things that were prepared for us to kill each other with and I couldn't stop my fingers from trembling slightly as I reached for a knife.

„That one might be a bit to heavy for your size", someone offered from my side. I pulled back my touch from the weapon and turned in surprise. Shocked recognition struck me when I saw the perfect features of the boy.

„You're... you're the son of gamemaker Priblan Jekile, aren't you? You're Raey Jekile!", I stuttered dumbly, remembering him from several advertisments and appearences with his prominent father.

He looked at me, a smile on his lips.

„And you must be...", he started, peeking down at my forearm, „Pearl Creal!", he said, now just as astonished as he realized who I was. „You look so different, than you usually do. I'm sorry I didn't...", he started but I only laughed dryly. Of course I looked different. My blond hair was frizzy and I could, even without a mirror, tell that it had strong resemblance with a nest. A big nest, for at least five bird families.

I must have looked nothing like the prominent girl on the pictures. That girl was well dressed, in the most fancy outfits, her light blond hair laid elegantly over her slender shoulders and her green eyes beaming with the most luxurious make up affordable. And now I was standing here and just looked horrible. _No wonder he doesnt recognize me. _

Looking at him I hoped to find he also looked different than ususal but I was let down. He did have those well trained arms, and tanned skin, that made his light blue eyes were even more accentuated. And even under these circumstances, dressed with the same simple green shirt and trousers, that his well trained body filled out easily, he looked amazing. I wondered how old he was. 16? 17?

Still having my fascinated gaze locked on his brilliant eyes, I didn't here that he had said something.

„Pearl? Hello?", he asked waving a hand infront of my face, trying to wake me from my daydream. I blushed deeply, and turned back to the weapons, trying to act interested so he wouldn't see the deep red blotches appearing on my face.

He also turned back and reached for a smaller knife.

„Here, try this. The other one would have probably been to heavy for a girl of your size", he said and handed me a lighter knife. I tried not be angry for him practically calling me weak, and closed my fingers over it's wooden clamp.

I stood there a bit dumbly, not sure what to do with the deadly instrument in my hand. Raey himself picked up a heavy sword. The way he swung it around with testing eyes, made me think that he would have probably been a volunteer in the next few years. His perfect muscles tensed and loosened as he turned the massive weapon in his hands and I couldn't help but have respect of him. I would have bet that he was raised as a killer machine, one of those children who were born to win the hunger games. And judging by the his trained body, didn't make it seem so improbable. Still, to me he wasn't the bad guy. Most of the Careers, or soon-to-be-Careers, were usually total machos or in the case of girls, absolute _bitches_. But thinking about how Raaey was really friendly up to know, I couldn't see him that way.

In any case, I knew that I would have _absolutely_ no chance against him.

**AN: I hope you liked it! Personally I am a bit sceptical about it, especially since I am not good in writing conversations and I don't like how the ending with Raey turned out :/ Tell me your opinion by writing a review please, it would mean a lot to me! :)**

**Short shout out for: QueenOfTheButterflies whose GALACTIC GAMES story is just WOW! So if you are fed up with Tributes Of The Capitol go read this! :)**


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